A study showed that more than 40 percent of boys with autism spent their free time playing video games versus 18 percent of neurotypical boys (Mazurek et al, 2013). Our son, who is a teenager with autism and ADHD, has had a special interest in video games since he was in elementary school. Research has documented the detriments of too much time playing video games. These include inattention, behavior issues and even addiction. I know those are real watch-outs, and we’ve had to deal with some of those ourselves with our son. However, I have wondered if there are benefits that come from playing video games for children with autism. It turns out there are, and studies have shown the benefits too.
Increase in social skills through multiplayer games
Children with autism have difficulty with social skills and interacting with other kids. Playing with others through multiplayer games can provide a way to interact with others and learn social skills. They already have a common interest – the game they are playing, and their interactions are generally less threatening. Therefore, this can feel like a safer environment for them to be social.
Our son J has “met” many other teenage boys who love video games as much as he does through multiplayer games, and I can hear him interacting with them on his Xbox (affiliate link). He also has made some friends at school, and they play games together online. Playing video games online with others is probably his favorite social activity. He truly has learned from some of those interactions. Many times, the experience is positive. When challenges do arise, we talk through them and what he can learn from them.
We had a couple of safeguards for multiplayer games for our son. He wasn’t allowed to play multiplayer games until he was about 15 years old. We didn’t think he could do that safely and responsibly until then. That was based on his behavior, and your child may be a bit younger or older before you would feel comfortable with them playing with others online. We also had to be sure he knew that he could not share personal information (such as home address, email address, phone number, etc.) online while playing. He uses only his first name, and he doesn’t disclose where he lives or any contact information other than reaching him through his Xbox username on chat. With so many predators online, he understands what to look for and to report any unusual behavior from others right away to us.
Learn how to recover from mistakes
So many kids on the spectrum have a hard time making mistakes and learning from them. Through video games, they have a safe place to do so. They also have additional “lives” or chances to learn from the mistakes in their games and do things differently. This allows them to progress in the game.
As parents, we can use this to help them apply that to real life. It’s okay to make mistakes, and we all make them. What’s important is that we learn from them, so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over.
Help improve fine motor skills
If you play video games yourself or had to use the controllers (or keys on the computer/tablet) to help your child, you know it takes some skill to use them. Playing games also can help improve hand-eye coordination. Some video game systems like the Nintendo Wii require one to act out the movements physically, so that also can help with gross motor skills and balance. This is truly one of the benefits of video games for our children with autism.
Improve flexibility
Children with autism often have difficulty solving problems because they are not flexible in their thinking. However, when playing video games, they must revise their actions and strategies to move from one level to another. This can help them broaden their thinking and be more flexible when approaching a problem.
Learn how to deal with frustrations better
Sometimes, playing video games seems like it is nothing but frustration. I know our son has come close to melting down over a video game, and we’ve had to make him take a break even though he had time left to play. Yet, he really wanted to play the game, so he improved in handling his frustrations.
Practice transitions skills
Transitions are difficult for many on the autism spectrum. Video games include many transitions. They can help our kids better understand how to transition from one thing to another. (The downside is then having our children transition from playing video games to doing something else! Please see “How to deal with obsession and addiction” below.)
Provides a conversation starter
Many times, kids and teenagers on the spectrum have a hard time starting conversations with others. Because so many children and teens play video games, asking about them about a particular video game can be a good conversation starter and help find some common ground.
Keeps autistic kids more engaged through education videos
Studies have shown that educational video games are a great way to teach children with autism. They tend to be more engaged and have a longer attention span when learning from an education game online. The games also encourage curiosity and challenge for children with autism. In addition, teachers and therapists can help autistic children set goals and measure performance through the video games. From a long-term perspective, video games provide information technology skills that people with autism can develop as children and teens that may lead to a career.
How to deal with obsession and addiction
While there are benefits to video games for children with autism, there are certainly downsides to them as well. Two of the biggest challenges are obsession and even addiction. So how can you help your child avoid those?
We know that children with autism (especially those who were diagnosed originally with Asperger’s Syndrome) have the tendency to develop special, or focused, interests.
Our son J’s first special interest with video games was Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers. Yes, he spent hours playing on his Nintendo DS (affiliate link), and I admit that hearing the constant music of the game was enough to make me feel like I would go bonkers! On the good side, it encouraged him to make videos and create a YouTube channel with Mario Bros plushie videos 😊 Another special interest for a while was Minecraft. He loved it and not only played Minecraft but studied books about it to learn how to create more using the game. (There is even a special Minecraft server called Autcraft online for children and adults with autism and their families.) Now that J is a teenager, he has graduated to action video games on Xbox like Call of Duty® and Halo.
So how can you avoid the obsession and addiction to playing the video games? Here are some tips that will help:
- Set time limits for your child on how much video game time they have each day. We have consistently done this for our son, but I’m amazed at how many of his friends (who are a mix of neurotypical and special needs kids) who don’t have any time limitations.
- Encourage other ways of spending time with something related to the game but not actually playing it. Are there comic books, books, toys or other related items that will help your child still have their special interest fix without it always be playing the actual game?
- Ensure your child is doing their chores, eating meals, completing homework and spending time doing other things throughout the day.
- Schedule time away from your home to take your child with you to run errands and plan fun activities outside of the home like going to the park, hiking, taking a walk or spending time with friends.
- Use a token program to have them earn time for playing video games.
- Praise the activities your child participates in outside of video games.
- Know when to get help for your child. If you believe your child is truly addicted to video games, seek help from a behavior therapist right away.
Does your child play video games? What benefits have you seen from video games for your child with autism? Leave a comment so we can share and encourage one another!
References:
Finke, E., Hickerson, B. and Kremkow, J. “To Be Quite Honest, If It Wasn’t for Video Games, I Wouldn’t Have a Social Life at All”: Motivations of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder for Playing Videogames as Leisure. American Journal of Speech-Pathology. 2018; 27 (2): 672-689.
Finke, E., Hickerson, B. and Kremkow, J. Parental Intention to Support Video Game Play by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in School. 2015; 46 (2): 155-165.
Griffiths, M. The educational benefits of video games. Education and Health. 2002; 20 (3): 47-51.
Mazurek, M., Shattuck, P., Wagner, M. and Cooper, B. Prevalence and Correlates of Screen-Based Media Use among Youths with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism Development Disorder. 2012; 42(8): 1757–1767.
Mazurek, M. and Engelhardt, C. Video Game Use in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD or Typical Development. Pediatrics. 2013;132:260–266.
